German, Turkish Foreign Ministers Discuss Situation In Eastern Mediterranean - Berlin

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas held a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday, voicing concerns about the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, where tensions are on the rise over Ankara's geological exploration on the Cyprus shelf, the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2019) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas held a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday, voicing concerns about the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, where tensions are on the rise over Ankara's geological exploration on the Cyprus shelf, the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

"In a phone call with his Turkish counterpart @MevlutCavusoglu, Foreign Minister @HeikoMaas voiced EU concerns about the illegal drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean. We are willing to achieve a solution in accordance with international law through dialogue," the German foreign ministry said on Twitter.

The row around Turkey's hydrocarbon exploration off Cyrpus' coast has been ongoing since 2011, when the first gas deposits were discovered. Ankara rejects Nicosia's EEZ claims, while the latter accuses Turkey of violating international law. The underlying cause of the dispute is the unresolved situation around the status of the non-recognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

In late June, EU leaders expressed concern about Turkey's "illegal drilling activity" in the Eastern Mediterranean, requesting the European Commission and EU diplomatic service to work out targeted measures against Ankara.

Washington said it considered Turkey's actions in the territorial waters of Cyprus to be a "provocative step" and called on Ankara to stop drilling. The Russian Foreign Ministry has, in turn, noted that Moscow is concerned about Turkey's actions in the Cypriot EEZ, and urged the sides to avoid escalating the situation.

The Council of the European Union approved on Monday sanctions against Turkey over its drilling operations in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The European Union intends to reduce its financial assistance for Turkey by 145.8 million Euros ($164 million) and suspend negotiations with Ankara on an aviation agreement. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Ankara would continue to produce hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean even despite sanctions.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, commenting on EU sanctions against Turkey because of geological exploration on the Cyprus shelf, that Moscow did not support unilateral sanctions and considered them unacceptable.